120 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



" I will only remark, obligations are never fill on one side and if some- 

 thing is required o£ the merchant by the shipper, then, in all fairness, 

 something is required of the shipper by the merchant, and no obligation 

 commences or becomes of force until this is agreed on. 



" I will, however, confine myself within the narrow limits of the ques- 

 tion, and trust the discussion will cover the point only hinted at — the 

 mutual relations that exist. 



" I cannot at present do more than to barely refer to the matter of gen- 

 eral marketing. The preparing for market, the picking, packing, packages, 

 delivery to transportation company, all these are outside this paper and 

 must be dismissed with a bare mention. 



"The shipper must see to the delivery of goods in good condition, and 

 to taking a receipt in good order, for the law recognizes the transjDortation 

 company as the agent, and under the control and direction of the consignor, 

 and the consignee can have no control of the shipment (unless delegated 

 by the consignor) previous to arrival at its designation. 



WHERE THE MERCHANT'S DUTY BEGINS. 



"Clearly, then, the commission merchant's duties, and what can be 

 expected of him, begin at the point of destination. There his responsi- 

 bility begins, and there we must take up the discussion. 



" It must in all fairness be conceded that everyone shall stand the con- 

 sequences of his own acts, and common prudence will say that the grower 

 must make his selection and decide for himself. 



"What are the qualifications he desires in his chosen agent? 



"During the season of marketing, the average grower, who produces 

 three fourths of the siipply, is so engaged in the work of gathering and pre- 

 paring his fruit for market, that it becomes a physical impossibility for 

 him personally to attend to and supervise his marketing — that is, to see 

 that it is sold to the best advantage or to those who will pay the highest 

 price for it. 



"It will be conceded without argument, I think, that the great volume 

 of fruit marketed is in large cities. As the consumer buys in small quan- 

 tities, and largely on credit, there must be some one who is conversant 

 with his financial standing, and his tastes, who will undertake to supply 

 the grades of goods wanted, in quanties to suit, and to extend such credit 

 as he may require. 



" This point is often overlooked — that the great bulk of fruit is sold on 

 credit; yet the shipper and transportation companies are the only parties 

 who can command cash payment. 



"Being 100 miles or more from the consumer, the grower can not 

 properly do these things, and as a fact they can only be done by those in 

 daily contact with the customer, and then not always with safety. 



"Nor can the average groiver safely trust his goods to the retail dealer, 

 for he demands more or less credit, and his responsibility, in a financial 

 point of view, must often be closely scrutinized and collections must be 

 promptly made to reduce loss to a minimum, as all commission merchants 

 can testify. 



"The retail dealer, then, is a necessity, and some one who can supply 

 the retail dealer, regularly, is a necessity also. 



"In the selecting of his agent from among the abundance from which to 

 choose, the shipper exercises his own judgment, and makes up his own 



